The scotch whisky industry scherie nicol scotch whisky has been defined in uk law since 1909 and recognised in eu legislation since 1989. The scotch whisky act quite literally lays down the law about raw materials and the production process. In the scotch whisky the grain are roasted within the scotch whisky the grain are roasted with peat fire thus imparting peaty aroma to scotch. It differs from malt whisky in that malt whisky has to be made from malted barley only. There are only seven scotch grain whisky distilleries in scotland and at an average capacity of 59 million litres of pure alcohol lpa they are significantly larger than the average malt distillery of 3 million lpa. The scotch whisky industry presents an interesting historical case study of industrial organization. The exchequer rolls were records of all royal income and expenses. All of these brands share the distinctive qualities of scotch whisky, which set them apart from. In this particular entry, it documents that cor was given eight. In scotch grain whisky production, maize was the tra this contrasts with the gelatinization temperature range ditional grain of choice until it was effectively.
Grain whisky is then watered down to 60%abv before being casked. The overwhelming majority of scotch whisky consists of malt and grain whiskies mixed together to make a product known as blended scotch whisky. While many malt whisky distilleries bottle some of their production for sale as single malt the product of one distillery, most of the scotch whisky consumed. See and learn the steps of the malting, the mashing, the distilling, and the maturation in full detail. After discovering that the 18th century distillery produced a range of unpeated, peated and triple distilled whiskies, it set out to do the same for the modern scotch era. For a whisky to be labelled scotch whisky it has to be produced and matured in scotland for a minimum of three years. Scotch malt whisky must use 100% malted barley and be distilled in a pot still. The making of malt whisky the origins of malt whisky distilling in scotland. We believe this will be the year that grain whisky breaks into the mainstream and gains the recognition it deserves. This large proportion of alcohol is produced by a very small number of grain distilleries. The starch in the nonmalted cereals is released by precooking and converted into fermentable sugars. Whether the malt is produced on traditional malting floors or in an industrial malting, it is transported into the malt silo either with oldfashioned drag conveyors or with modern conveyor screws or a blower system.
The term single grain whisky has a specific meaning in scotland. Whisky distilled at a single distillery, blended scotch whisky a blend of one or more single malt. Recently however, there has been more of an interest. Single malt, single grain, blended, blended malt and blended grain. The main feature of grain whisky distilleries are their large capacities with an average of over 50m litres. According to the scotch whisky act, new make spirit must be. The malt silos of a distillery are closed airtight but, depending on the air humidity, malt can only be stored for 4 to 12 weeks in a silo.
Grain distilleries and the scotch whisky industry inside. The scotch whisky act 1988 prohibits inter alia the production in scotland of. Scotch whisky distillers are very exacting about both the quality and the yield of the barley they use. Bottler is it bottled by the distiller ob or by an independent bottler ib. As mentioned, it is used in some usa whiskies, and has largely replaced maize in the production of scotch grain whisky. Kirin produces grain and malt whiskies at their fuji gotanba distillery. The first written mention of scotch was found scribed on june 1st, 1495 in volume x on page 487 of the exchequer rolls of scotland where it reads to friar john cor, by order of the king, to make aqua vitae viii bolls of malt. It was a long road from the grain to the glenlivet. Distillery what is the name of the distillery if known. However, other cereals might also have potential for use.
Pdf production of grain whisky and ethanol from wheat, maize. In previous decades grain whisky has only been used to give a bit more body to blends, and also to lower the price on blends, as it is cheaper to produce than malt. Blended whisky has been the cornerstone of the industry for so long because it is cheaper to produce than single malt whisky. Malt whisky is made from malted barley only, while grain whisky is made from malted barley. Learn about how whisky and whiskey is malted, mashed, fermented, distilled and how wine, bourbon or sherry barrels effect the production process. How scotch whisky is made from grain to glass youtube.
Estimates of total output of scotch whisky distillery byproducts were calculated for the period 2000 to 2017 based on available industry data. The glasgow distillery company, established in the south of the city in 2012, has launched its glasgow 1770 single malt triple distilled release no. Mashing which produces wort sugar solution from ground or crushed malt. For both malt and grain whiskies, production must adhere to the. Thats scotch whisky 10, 12, 16 or more years before its poured into your glass. Malt scotch whisky is fermented from malted barley and the resulting alcohol. Bulk stock of grain scotch whisky produced in the united kingdom uk 20052015 published by nilsgerrit wunsch, aug 21, 2019. How scotch whisky is made is a film taking you through the production process for scotch malt whisky, grain whisky and blended whisky. The glasgow distillery company release marks resurgence of. Scotch mostly contains barley and other whiskeys use barley in combination with wheat, corns, oats, and rye. As of 2018, there were 3 scotch whisky distilleries operating in scotland all scotch whisky was originally made from malted barley.
Over 90% of all scotch whisky sold is blended whisky. Pdf production of grain whisky and ethanol from wheat. The reason is, blended whisky contains grain whisky as well as malt whisky and grain whisky is. Glasgow distillery company release marks resurgence of.
The mashing and fermentation processes are similar to those used for malt whisky. Grain scotch whisky to the rich, fruity and smooth characteristics of a well matured. Distilled using any cereal grain including wheat, maize, oats or rye. Loch lomond distillery is the only one in scotland to combine single malt and grain production on one site and combines the two to produce a whisky it calls a single blend typical character and style of grain scotch whisky. Malt whisky which is made by the pot still process and grain whisky which is made by the patent still or coffey still process. Note distillers dark grains with solubles ddgsappendix 1 outlines the inputs, process flows and product outputs involved in malt and grain scotch whisky production estimated output of scotch whisky distillery byproducts. Single grain whiskies have there own different styles and are now highly prized by the whiskey enthusiast. Scotch malt whisky is fermented from malted barley and the resulting alcohol.
These whiskies tend to be less rich and flavoursome than their maltbased counterparts, and are often distilled in continuous column stills, instead of copper pot stills which are used to make single malts. In the production of malt scotch whisky the basic raw materials are limited and consist of barley, water and yeast. Scotch grain whisky is whisky distilled from either wheat, corn, rye or barley, as opposed to being distilled exclusively from malted barley. The quality of the finished malt whisky starts with the quality of the raw materials barley, water, yeast and spirit caramel.
The higher the content of rye spicier are the whisky notes. Find out interesting facts around the whisky production. Strict regulations governing the production of single malt scotch whisky dictate that barley is the only permitted grain. For both malt and grain whiskies, production must adhere to the following 2009 regulations which state that scotch whisky. Grain whisky is whisky made from any grains, including but not limited to wheat and corn. In scotland, around 41,000 jobs directly or indirectly rely on the scotch whisky industry.
Grain whisky gets distilled to neutral, so very high proof 95%abv in continuous stills, sometimes called column or coffey stills. In addition there has been a greater uptake of bioenergy production at grain whisky distilleries aided by their larger scale. Brewing and distilling in scotland economic facts and. Saccharomyces cerevisiae in the production of whiskey.
Flow diagram of scotch malt whisky production distillation and maturation. Why single malt whisky is so expensive so expensive. This is in comparison to the pot stills used for malt whisky where everything needs to be produced in batches and is only distilled to 6070%. Distillery byproducts, livestock feed and bioenergy use. Differences between malt and grain whisky whiskyinvestdirect. Scotch whisky must be made in a manner specified by law. Production process for scotch whisky whiskyinvestdirect. This paper presents economic facts and figures about scotlands brewing and distilling sectors, with the objective of aiding policy scrutiny and developments in these sectors. Scotlands brewing and distilling sectors play a vital role in the scottish economy, permeating many facets of scottish society. Different grains used to make whisky the whiskypedia. Grain whisky is by far the most important form of scotch whisky in terms of alcohol production, and comprises about 60 per cent of the total alcohol produced by the scotch whisky industry. In scotland this includes small amounts of malted barley in combination with another grain. The germination is halted by heating, and yeast is added to ferment the sugary mixture. Scotch whiskies are of two main types, malt whiskies which are made by batch distillation of fermented worts prepared solely from barley malt, and.
Type is it a single malt, blended malt, grain, rye, corn, blended or liqueur whisky. When plans for david beckhambacked grain whisky haig club were unveiled in 2014, david gates, brand owner diageos global head of premium core spirits, declared. Wheat replaced maize as the main cereal raw material for scotch grain whisky production 20 years ago. Its history, production and appreciation is an indepth look at the origins of scotch whisky beginning with the development of the art of distillation in antiquity and its evolution through the middle ages leading finally to the birth of whisky in the th century. Tennessee whiskey, however, must be made in tennessee rye whiskey, on the other hand, doesnt necessarily have to be made in the united. Grain scotch whisky also has to be made with malted barley but the mash may, and usually does, include 1 scotch whisky regulations 2009. A number of highquality, singlegrain scotch whiskies are made in a single distillery, from unmalted grains most often barley, corn or wheat. However, other cereals might also have potential for use in grain distilleries and ethanol production. However, all whiskeys contain malted barley in small amounts. Scotch grain whisky is usually made from 1020% malted barley and then other unmalted cereals such as maize or wheat. Production process for scotch whisky scotch whisky is made from cereals which are allowed to begin germination, a process which releases enzymes that turn grain starch into sugar. In 2015, blended scotch whisky accounted for 70% of exports by value and 90% by volume.
Had that really happened, there seems little doubt that becks would have got his knighthood by now. Bourbon, the most recognized type of american whiskey, can be produced only in the united states, butcontrary to popular beliefdoes not have to be produced in kentucky, though most of it is. The production processes are based on both scotch grain whisky and bourbon whiskey. Shinji fukuyo, yoshio myojo, in whisky second edition, 2014. The city of glasgow historically had a vibrant whisky producing sector, but by the 21st century only one distillery, making grain whisky, remained.
159 1629 159 1522 204 1463 700 574 494 1577 846 830 603 1024 278 406 42 144 1506 1016 743 1597 172 67 1063 1053 232 1611 230 1432 297 609 961 1120 261 1266 640 271 134 308 774 966 1196 158 1402 479 1467 860 163